Static fluid mixing pump device

ABSTRACT

A static fluid mixing pump device comprises a flow tube encasing a liner perforated with fluid jets for the introduction of a transport fluid at or in the vicinity of a transition section within the device.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Benefit of U.S. Provisional Application for Patent Ser. No. 61/129,484 filed on Jun. 30, 2008 is hereby claimed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a static fluid mixing pump device of the kind in which a fluid material is entrained within a transport fluid. The transport fluid may be a gas, typically compressed air, or the transport fluid may be a liquid, for example water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ejectors and eductors and the like devices are well known in the art and are used in a plethora of applications involving the inducement of fluid flow through a conduit for various purposes including but not limited to the transport of fluid material from one point to another, the mixing of materials, or the treatment of the material, for example by maceration to effect particle size reduction. Most devices of this kind involve the use of compressed gas, e.g. air, as the transport medium and a venturi arrangement in the transport system to accelerate flow and effectively to draw the fluid material within the relevant transport conduit. Some systems merely employ parallel injection of the transport medium via a concentric sleeve around the conduit to induce or assist in establishing the required flow of material therewithin.

One particular example of a device of the kind indicated is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,301,606 to Bruno who proposed a cyclonic elevator comprising a plain cylindrical transport tube surrounded along part of its length by a concentric conduit with separate plenum chambers in flow communication with the tube through the agency of apertures formed in a section of the tube. The apertures are orientated in such an upwardly spiral manner as in use to generate a cyclonic effect within the tube. In use compressed air is introduced sequentially to the plenum chambers and thus into the tube thereby causing a swirling or cyclonic motion to entrain and transport fluid material through the tube. One of the problems with this particular configuration is concerned with the supply of the compressed air to the different plenum chambers in sequence: it is necessary as disclosed in the patent document to provide a rotary valve for this purpose, thus involving the consumption of more energy.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved static fluid mixing pump device to obviate this problem and to provide a more efficient pump.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved static fluid mixing pump device.

An advantage of the present invention is that the pump device has a simplified configuration of elements with absence of any moving parts, with transport fluid jets located downstream of a relative narrow portion of the fluid material tube.

Another advantage of the present invention is that the pump device is capable of usage in a wide range of applications ranging from deployment in simple aquaria in which aeration of water is required to industrial conveying plant for the transport of fluid materials, as well as in any angular inclination between and including vertical and horizontal orientations.

According to a first embodiment of the present invention there is provided a static fluid mixing pump device including a narrow bore transport fluid inlet means, a fluid material tube having an inlet and an outlet for fluid material, the tube having a dimensionally increasing flared transition portion in a flow direction of the fluid material, and a plurality of jets in the vicinity of said transition portion, typically downstream of the tube inlet, and connected to the transport fluid inlet means.

According to a second embodiment of the present invention there is provided a static fluid mixing pump device wherein the tube is a relatively outer hollow cylindrical tube having the inlet and the outlet for fluid material flow and the narrow bore transport fluid inlet means, the device including an inner generally hollow cylindrical liner for the tube sealably located coaxially therewithin, the liner having an inlet and an outlet registering with the inlet and the outlet of the tube respectively thus constituting a through passage from the inlet of the tube to the inlet of the liner and thence to the outlet of the liner and the outlet of the tube, a plenum chamber formed between the liner and the tube and communicating with the transport fluid inlet means, the liner having the flared portion defining the dimensionally increasing transition in the internal dimension of the liner in a direction from the inlet thereof towards the outlet thereof, and the plurality of fluid jets being defined in the wall of the liner and extending from the plenum to the inside of the liner.

The fluid jets may be in the form of nozzles or may be constructed of nozzles at the end of fluid passages provided with vanes appropriate for the purpose of inducing the requisite directional flow characteristics for the transport fluid.

The fluid jets may be tangentially orientated at the same level.

Alternatively, the fluid jets are tangentially orientated as aforesaid at a number of levels upstream of the transition, at the transition or downstream thereof or any combination.

As a still further alternative, the fluid jets are provided at one or more of the levels as indicated supra but are radially and angularly orientated in the direction from the inlet towards the outlet of the tube.

The liner of the second embodiment is sealably held within the tube by means for example of O-rings suitably seating in grooves provided for that purpose in the outer periphery of the liner at each end thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided herein, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the description in association with the following Figures, in which similar references used in different Figures denote similar components, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective diagrammatic view of a first embodiment of a static fluid pump device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of a second embodiment in accordance with the present invention with one tangential orientation of jets;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the liner of the embodiment of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of a liner with an alternative radial orientation of jets; and

FIG. 5 is a combined left-hand-side external view and right-hand-side cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the annexed drawings the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be herein described for indicative purpose and by no means as of limitation.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is illustrated generally at 10 a first embodiment of a static fluid mixing pump device in accordance with the present invention. A rectangular base 12 defines a mount for the pump 10 and includes two plates 14, 16 secured together by appropriate fixtures (not shown) extending through holes 18 provided for that purpose at or near the corners of the base. A typically relative narrow bore compressed air inlet means 20, or transport fluid inlet port, is provided in the relatively upper plate 14 (shown in dotted lines for clarity purposes) of the base 12 and communicates via one or more passages within the base, such as first and second annular plenums 24 in fluid communication with each other via a gap defined between the intermediate wall 24′ and the upper plate 14, with a series of tangentially orientated fluid jets 22 provided circumferentially around an increasing dimensional transition 30 (a sharply increasing flared transition shown) in a fluid material transport tube 32. The tube 32 is provided with an inlet 34 and is formed within the plates 14, 16 with a smaller diameter portion 33 being formed in and through the lower plate 16 and a larger diameter portion 35 formed in and through the upper plate 14 as illustrated in FIG. 1, providing an outlet 37.

This first embodiment may be deployed for example within an aquarium (not shown) for the purpose of water aeration and in this instance the pump device 10 would be suitably mounted in the aquarium in such manner that water access to the lower portion 33 of the tube 32 in plate 16 is assured. A compressed air supply is piped (not shown) to the inlet 20 whence the air exhausts in a swirling motion from the jets 22 at the transition between the portion 33 and 35, water flow being induced through the inlet 34 then through the tube 32 from the smaller dimension portion 33 into the larger dimension portion 35 and thence through the outlet 37. The air is thus mixed with the water to aerate the same and at the same time to provide the motive power for the flow through the pump 10. It is to be understood that whilst the operation of this first embodiment has been described using compressed air as an example of the transport fluid, a liquid transport fluid may equally well be employed. For example, water may used for the transport function.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 a second embodiment of static fluid mixing pump device in accordance with the present invention is indicated generally at 100 and comprises a hollow cylindrical tube 102 having an inlet 103 and an outlet 104 at opposite ends thereof with an inlet port 106 for a compressed air supply.

A liner 108 is sealingly located within the tube 102 by means of O-rings (not shown) seating in grooves 110 at each end of the liner. The external wall 112 of the liner 108 is so shaped as to define in combination with the inner wall of the tube 102 a plenum 114 communicating with the inlet port 106. The inner wall 120 of the liner 108 is venturi-shaped with an inlet section 121 of reducing diameter leading to a throat section 122 ending with a dimensionally increasing transition portion 122′ that extends into an outwardly flared outlet section 123. A plurality of jets 130 is provided at different levels disposed circumferentially of the liner 108 and orientated substantially tangentially thereof, as shown by angle A in FIG. 3. Some of the fluid jets 130 are located upstream of and adjacent the transition portion 122′ in the throat section 122, some at the transition portion 122′ and some downstream within the flared portion 123.

In use, a compressed air supply is connected to the inlet port 106 of the tube 102 whence it flows in a swirling motion into the plenum 114 and out through the jets 130 into the liner 108, and in so doing induces material flow into the inlet 103 of the tube 102 and transports the material in a cyclonic manner for discharge through the outlet 104. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the transport fluid may be a liquid such as water.

Turning now to FIGS. 4 and 5 the same reference numerals have been accorded to like parts as those in FIGS. 2 and 3. The essential difference between the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5, and that of FIGS. 2 and 3 lies in the orientation of the jets 130. In this embodiment the fluid jets 130, still provided at different levels and disposed circumferentially of the liner 108, are arrayed radially with their outlets directed towards the flared outlet portion 123 of the liner, as shown by angle B of FIG. 5, and thus towards the outlet 104 of the tube 102.

Although not shown herein, the outlet 104 of the tube 102, and to a certain extent the inlet 103, could be located much further away from the transition portion 122′ and could be provided on a tube extension which could be flexible depending on the needs.

The diametrical ratio as between the outlet of the flared transition portion and the inlet thereof is variable dependent upon the specific application of the mixing pump. By way of example only, the ratio may be 2:1.

It will be understood that the selection of the jet orientation will depend upon a number of factors, one of which will be the nature of the material to be flow induced through the pump. The fluid material could be a liquid, a slurry of particulate materials in a liquid carrier, or purely flowable particulate material. The transport fluid may be gaseous or in liquid form, for example compressed air or water respectively.

Furthermore, the fluid jets 20, 130 may be in the form of nozzles or may be constructed of nozzles at the end of fluid passages provided with vanes appropriate for the purpose of inducing the requisite directional flow characteristics for the transport fluid.

Although not illustrated herein, the device 10, 100 of the present invention may be used in any inclination angle, down to a horizontal orientation, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the disclosure has been made by way of example only and that the present invention is not limited to the features of the embodiments described and illustrated herein, but includes all variations and modifications within the scope and spirit of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

1. A static fluid mixing pump device including a narrow bore transport fluid inlet means, a fluid material tube having an inlet and an outlet for fluid material, the tube having a dimensionally increasing flared transition portion in a flow direction of the fluid material, and a plurality of fluid jets in the vicinity of said transition portion and connected to the transport fluid inlet means.
 2. A static fluid mixing pump device according to claim 1 wherein the tube is a relatively outer hollow cylindrical tube having the inlet and the outlet for fluid material flow and the narrow bore transport fluid inlet means, the device including an inner generally hollow cylindrical liner for the tube sealably located coaxially therewithin, the liner having an inlet and an outlet registering with the inlet and the outlet of the tube respectively thus constituting a through passage from the inlet of the tube to the inlet of the liner and thence to the outlet of the liner and the outlet of the tube, a plenum chamber formed between the liner and the tube and communicating with the transport fluid inlet means, the liner having the flared portion defining the dimensionally increasing transition in the internal dimension of the liner in a direction from the inlet thereof towards the outlet thereof, and the plurality of fluid jets being defined in the wall of the liner and extending from the plenum to the inside of the liner.
 3. A static fluid mixing pump device according to claim 2 wherein the liner is provided with a neck section upstream of the flared transition portion.
 4. A static fluid mixing pump device according to claim 3 wherein the fluid jets are tangentially orientated at the same level in the liner downstream of the neck section.
 5. A static fluid mixing pump device according to claim 3 wherein the fluid jets are tangentially orientated at different levels in the liner downstream of the neck section.
 6. A static fluid mixing pump device according to claim 3 wherein the fluid jets are provided at at least one level and are radially orientated in the direction from the inlet to the outlet of the tube downstream of the neck section.
 7. A static fluid mixing pump device according to claim 3 wherein the fluid jets are provided at at least one level and are angularly orientated in the direction from the inlet to the outlet of the tube downstream of the neck section.
 8. A static fluid mixing pump device according to claim 1 wherein the fluid jets are nozzles.
 9. A static fluid mixing pump device according to claim 1 wherein the fluid jets are formed of nozzles at the end of passages incorporating vanes of helical form.
 10. A static fluid mixing pump device according to claim 2 wherein the liner is sealably held within the tube by O-rings, and circumferential grooves are provided in the outer periphery of the liner at each end thereof for the purpose in use of receiving said O-rings. 